Signaling device



May 31, 1932. P. J. 0. MILLER.

SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1928 EVEN EUR;

' Patented May 31,1932

rnrnn J. o. MILLE on Peon-1A,. LLInoIs. nssreivon or one-HALF roam/[Enn- NYSTROM, or LPEOBIA, ILLINOIS SIGNALING DEVICE Application filed. Angiist17, 1928. Seria1-No.300,314.

This invention has reference tosignaling devices adapted for attachment and" operation upon preferably motor driven "vehicles such as automobiles and trucks.

I. The invention has'for its principal object to provide a signaling device for vehicles adapted for indicating and giving warning to operators of other vehicles or to pedestrians when a change in the'direction' ot'progress ve n movement had by such vehicle is about to be made, whereby accidents can be avoided and the driving of the vehicle rendered more safe. The invention has for a further'object to provide in a signalingfdevic'e for attachment and operation upon vehicles, a direction indicator or arm adapted when projected from either or both sides of the vehicle to be illuminated by'means otan electric bulb "or lamp carried by said indicator or arm, wherewithin visual range of such. illuminated warning may be informed of a proposed change in movement of the veh cle, especially 'during rainy or foggy ticularly at night.

we ather and par A further ob ect of the invention is to pro-r vide a device of thecharacter above referred towhich shall be simple and eflicient in operation,'cheapin'manutacture and compact in its arrangement of parts, and further, so con structed as to enable quick'examinationand change of parts for repairs, when necessary. That the invention may bemo're fHllYllIh ,derstood, reference is had to the accompanying drawingsjtorming apart ofthis description and illustratinga'preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Fig.1 is a view in elevation" of improved signaling device showing the; signal arm or warning indicator thereof projected into signaling or warning position;

Fig; 2 is an end view ofF ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of Fig-1 disclosing insection the operating mechanism of the device andelectrical wiring arrangement therefor; f 4: is a viewrsimilar to Fig; 3 exceptthe signal arm or warning indicatorfis' shown in retracted or non signaling position;

by operators of othervehicles and pede'strians I and trucks Fig. 5 is aspot view of the signaling arm or indicatorcarriage, as the same would appear it taken on the line 33, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthetorked end-portion of the curved lever, one of the operating mechanisms of the signaling device, and g Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the locking plate and pin which coact with the curved levershownin Fig. 6. i

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures.

Reference being had to the drawings, my improved signaling device consists of a co-nipact unit comprising superimposed upper and lowerycompartments or casings 1 and 2 respectively, the upper compartment 1 being a housing for a signal arm 3 which is adapted to be projected into and out of said compartment 1 through an end opening a. Depending stub bolts 5 with nuts 6 are provided on opposite lower ends of the casing or com partment 1 to enable the signaling dev'iceto be attached or supported to suitable loca-' tions on motor vehicles, such as automobiles Qontained withinthe lower'compartment orcasing Qand' supported from the floor of the casing lby means of a bracket 7 are solenoid coilsS and Q'arranged in vertical aligng ment with eachoth'er and insulated from each other by means of'an insulator or a non-conductorj 10. A lever .member 11 having a curved end portion 12' and a forked end por tion 13. is pivotally mounted at 14 from a 5 depending lug 15 supported from the fioor of the casing 1, said lever member 11 extending through anopening or cut-out portion 16 v of the floor of the-casing 1 to enable the curved end portion 12 to have swinging movement within thecasing or compartment 1 and the forked end portion 13 to have a swinging movement within'the casing orcompartment 2. The forked end portion 13 of the lever member 11 is cut away or slotted to'form lingers or stops 17 and 17'. Offset from the pivot point 14' of the lever member 11 is I a pivot point 18, see Figs. 3 and 6,- at which point is pivotally connected an angular'ly shaped lock member or plate 19, see Figs. 3

and 7 one end of which is connected to a portion of the lever member 11 by means of a coiled spring 20, the other end having a pivotal connection with a connecting link 21 by means of a connecting pin 22, which will be understood to eoact with the forked end portion 13 of the lever arm 11 between the fingers or stops 1'7 and 17. The opposite end of the connecting link 21 is pivotally connected at 22 to a solenoid core or piston 23 which is adapted to have movement within the solenoid coils 8 and 9, to be described.

Pivotally connected to the curved end 12 of the lever member 11 is a curved link member 24 which is adapted to have a pivotal connection at 25 with a movable carriage 26. Said carriage 26 is provided with two sets of opposed rollers or wheels 27 which are adapted to ride on rails 28 provided on the inside faces of the walls of the casing or compartment 1 to permit longitudinal movement of the carriage 26 within said casing or compartmentl. The sets of rollers or wheels 27 are preferably comprised of upper and lower rollers or wheels 29 and 30 respectively, to engage theupper and lower faces of the rails 28 to revent rocking of the carriage upon the rai s and to insure easy riding of the same thereon. Suitably supported within the carriage 26 is an insulation block 31 to which is attached an electrical contact finger 32. The carriage 26 is formed with horizontally extending arm portions 33, see Figs. 3 and 4, to which is suitably connected a depending ring or band 34 of considerable width which serves as a seat or holder for a horizontally disposed signal arm or projector 3 which is adapted to have a frictional engagement with the ring or band 34. The signal arm 3 is an elongated hollow member, its frame being preferably made of metal and its free end is shown tapered at 35 to resemble the point of an arrow, for ornamental purposes, however, it is obvious that the shape and formation of the signal arm may be otherwise as conditions and manufacturing policies might dictate. The greater body porton of the signalarm 3 is preferably transparent by the use of either glass or mica designated 36 so that when the light bulb or lamp 37 which is adapted to be inserted and retained in the inner end 38 of the signal arm 3 is lighted and the signal arm extended or projected in the manner shown in Fig. 3, it will be understood that by reason of the transparent portions of the signal arm, such illuminated signal arm will serve asa warning to other vehicles and pedestrians that a change in the direction of pro ressive movement had by such vehicle with the electrical contact finger 32, see Figs. 3 and 4.

Suitably attached to and insulated from the carriage 26 is a projecting contact finger 39 which is adapted during the longitudinal movement of the carriage 26 within the casing or compartment 1 to have contact with a conductor or contact strip 40 secured preferably to the floor of the compartment or cas ingl, said strip 40 being suitably insulated therefrom, see Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

' The electrical wirin arrangement for the device is as follows: 1% conductor or line A, see'Figs. 3 and 4, having as a source of ower preferably a battery usually carried y all motor vehicles, is shown leading to the solenoid 8 within the compartment or casing 2 and also leading within the compartment 1 and connecting to the electrical contact finger 32. A conductor or line B, having the same source of power as the line A, is shown leading. within the compartment or casing 1 and connecting to the insulated projecting contact finger 39, which is carried by the carriage 26, said conductor or line B forming a part. of the conductor or contact strip 40 and leading therefrom into compartment 2 and connected to the solenoid 9. Each of the solenoids is grounded as shown in Fig. 4. Interposed between the source of power, such as an electric battery, not shown, and the signaling device in the lines A and B, a suitable electric switch, not shown, would be provided whereby the, operator of the vehicle would operate the signaling device by actuating the switch to cause an electric current to pass through the line A and into the solenoid 8, which line and solenoid causes the signal arm 3 to be projected into signaling position simultaneously lighting the lamp or bulb 37, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and upon the operator actuating the switch to close the circuit into the line B and causing an electric current to pass into the line B and solenoid 9, it will be understood that the line B and the solenoid 9 is the circuit for returning the signal arm 3 to its normal inoperative or non-signaling position, as shown inFigniy p,

p In the operation of the signaling device and assuming the signal arm 3 to be in inoperative or non-signaling position, as shown in Fig. 4, it will be understood that upon passing an electric current through the line A that'simultaneously the solenoid 8 will be energized and the lamp or bulb 37 will be illuminated by1reas'on 0f the electrical contact finger 32. The; energizing of the solenoid 8 causes the core or piston 23 to be attractedor pulleddownwardly within the core of the solenoid 8 and carrying with it the connectmg link 21, which downward movement results in the connecting pin 22 of the link 21 and thelocking member or plate 19 to bear against the projecting finger 17' of the forked end portion 13 of the lever member 11 causing the lever member 11 to swing on its pivot 14 and the connecting link 24 to:

thrust the carriage 26 and illuminated signal arm 3 carried thereby upon the rails 28 into the engagement or abutting of an edge of the lever member 11 against a stop member 41.

As shown inFig, 4, when the arm'3 is in its retracted position within the casing, the locking member 19 is engaged with the free end of the stop 41 and is so held by the spring 22, whereby the arm 3 is held latched or locked within the casing. v

To return-the signal arm 3 from the position shown in, Fig. 3to inoperative or non signaling position as shown in Fig. 4, it will appear obvious that the current in the line A is shut oil by means of a suitable switch, not

' shown, de-energ'izing the solenoid 8 and closing the circuit which lights the lamp or bulb ing, a lever pivoted to the casing near one end and connected with the carriage by means of a link pivotally connected with the carriage and with the lever, an operating means located below'the casing, an operating connection between the lever and said operating means including an arm having a pivotal con-,

nection with the lever and means arranged for coaction with the lever for limiting-the movement of the latter on the projection and; withdrawal of the signalarm to the limits of PETER J. O. MILLER.

37, and that an electric current is passed through the line B which energizes the solenoid 9by reason of the projecting contact linger 39 carried by the carriage 26- which in signaling position has contact with a conductor or contact strip lO which is connected by the conductor or line B which carries the electric current to the solenoid 9 and energizes i be understood to cause the pin 22 connecting I the link 21 and the locking member or plate 19 to abut against the forked end portion 13 of the lever member 11 and engage in its upper travel with the lhiger 17 resulting in a swinging movement of. the lever member 11 on its pivot 1 and returning the carriage 26 and signal arm 3 by means of the link member 24 on the rails 28 to inoperative or non-signaling position as shown in Fig. 4. The return movement of" the carriage 26 andthe signal arm 3 within the casing or compartment '1 is limited by the engagement of the finger 17 abuttingor engaging against the stop member' ll. The electric current in the line B to the solenoid 9 is brokeneor shut off during} the return of the signal arm 3 to inoperative or non-signaling position when the contact finger 39 disengages from the conductor or contact strip 40, as shown inFig. 4.

7 WV hat is claimed is In a s1gnal indicator, in combmation, a

casin havin an o enin in one end and with aligned tracks extending longitudinally on opposite sides thereof, a carriage movable on said tracks, an indicating arm connecting with the carriage and projecting and having movement through the openingin said cas- 

